Gronk will never be the same after this. This injury will linger for the rest of his career

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Doubt it.

As already stated, he needed a 4th surgery anyway to take the plate out/replace it (did he really break his arm so badly he needed a plate in the first place though?!), once that out it's the final stage of rehab and he will be back long before week 1 of the season (if it's infection free).

It is certainly possible that an area that is operated upon 4 times, has broken twice, and has endured a lengthy infection may be structurally weaker.

Usually when you break a bone it heals and isn't any likelier to break, but I think all these complications will again put him on the field with a weaker bone for the coming year it will probably take a year to get it and the surrounding muscle back to full strength.

It is certainly possible that an area that is operated upon 4 times, has broken twice, and has endured a lengthy infection may be structurally weaker.

Usually when you break a bone it heals and isn't any likelier to break, but I think all these complications will again put him on the field with a weaker bone for the coming year it will probably take a year to get it and the surrounding muscle back to full strength.

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It's possible. Of course, I wouldn't take the word of an anonymous Internet yambag as an authoritative source on an issue like this.

It is certainly possible that an area that is operated upon 4 times, has broken twice, and has endured a lengthy infection may be structurally weaker.

Usually when you break a bone it heals and isn't any likelier to break, but I think all these complications will again put him on the field with a weaker bone for the coming year it will probably take a year to get it and the surrounding muscle back to full strength.

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In fairness, the second break supposedly came at the point where the plate ended. I don't understand why they haven't taken the plate out, either. I wish they would, but I'm no doctor.

Hard to believe a broken forearm is causing all of this. I didn't understand either the need for a plate, unless they put it in so he could come back sooner than ready. If that's the case, and they rushed him back, then no one else to blame than doctors and decision makers on the team.

Maybe they can just take the plate out without replacing it. Those plates can cause constant pain and swelling. Maybe it's healed up enough so that another 4 to 5 months and it'll be 100% even without a plate.

In fairness, the second break supposedly came at the point where the plate ended. I don't understand why they haven't taken the plate out, either. I wish they would, but I'm no doctor.

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True, but a break is a break it wasn't his fault and was bound to happen playing a high impact sport without fully healing the bone. For a bone to be totally healed it takes about 12 weeks, it will appear healed via xray after 6-8 weeks (original reported recovery time) and for all intents and purposes is healed for a normal human being. For a guy that throws 260 pounds on the arm they should've waited the full 12 weeks.

I hope they take the new one out it'll be another pressure-point time bomb waiting to crack the bone.

This surgery, to replace the plate, was always going to be necessary. Not really news. What matters is what they find when they go in there. If the infection's gone, then great. If not, then we can start being really worried.